Mane, 24, starred in two seasons at Southampton, smashing 25 goals in 75 games for the club following a summer 2014 move from Red Bull Salzburg.

The Senegal international terrorised Premier League defenders with his blistering pace, and his superb record for the Saints unsurprisingly led to major interest over the summer.

Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring

It was Liverpool who managed to prise Mane away from Southampton, paying a reported £34m (BBC Sport) for the winger, and signing yet another Southampton player to go along with Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana at Anfield.

Mane has been one of the stars of the season so far, notching six goals and two assists in 12 Premier League outings, giving Liverpool a different dimension – and one which has made them title contenders.

At £34m, Mane cost just £4m more than Tottenham's deal for Moussa Sissoko, and whilst the London Evening Standard report that there's an unusual structure to that particular deal, the respective deals show how Spurs were left lagging behind their Premier League rivals during the summer transfer window.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy

Sissoko has yet to register a goal or an assist whilst Mane has excelled at Liverpool, and it seems to have been Levy's strict wage structure that cost Pochettino a realistic shot at landing Mane instead of Sissoko, which could have given Spurs the attacking spark they've been lacking this season.

Levy either needs to re-assess his policy, or Tottenham will not only miss out on top players like Mane again, but they could also lose existing stars like Lloris and Kane in the future.

Would you have liked to see Spurs sign Mane?

Olly Dawes

Olly is a Sports Management graduate and aspiring journalist, with most of his work surrounding football or NFL. He has formed two of his own sites, as well as contributing to a number of others before starting with Here Is The City.